Professor weighs in on Portland’s popularity

With the help of food carts, popular TV shows, and indie music, in the last decade Portland has shifted from being simply a city to becoming a brand. But is our time in the spotlight coming to an end?

The Portland Tribune explores this question, talking with local experts ranging from a media strategist to a chicken farmer. Also consulted is Lewis & Clark Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Media Studies Bryan Sebok, whose students are hard at work on a documentary called Cartlandia, about diversity in Portland’s food cart scene.

Sure, Portlandia is just a TV show, Sebok told the Portland Tribune, but life can imitate art and build on an established brand name. “It says something about what we’re up to. We’re playing with the mythical nature of local identity.”